1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a multi-function peripheral (MFP), which is a digital multi-function machine, a copy machine or a printer, and a setting method for the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an image forming apparatus such as a MFP, copy machine or printer may have plural functions including the copy function, scanner function and so on. Particularly, in a multi-function image forming apparatus, when copying image data, the user sets image forming conditions (for example, copy sheet size, N in 1, density, binding margin and so on) by operating a control panel. An image forming apparatus may also have a finisher that performs post-processing such as stapling and sorting, in which case conditions such as the presence or absence of staple processing are set.
When setting these conditions, the user needs to select a desired setting item from a menu screen displayed on the control panel and input more detailed settings.
Generally, since menu screens are displayed in a hierarchical manner, the user must carry out many operations to have a desired setting item shown. Moreover, since it is difficult to know which hierarchical level of menu screen contains the desired setting item, it takes time to set conditions.
To deal with this, there is an image forming apparatus in which setting contents for each individual are stored in a job memory. In this case, the past setting contents stored in the job memory are read out and conditions for copying and so on can be set in accordance with the read-out setting information. Therefore, the user does not have to repeat operations on menu screens and setting screens.
However, as the job memory is provided in the MFP body and many unspecified users use the image forming apparatus, the stored contents in the job memory may be overwritten by other users. Also, when using another MFP, the user must reset the conditions.
JP-A-2004-326394 discloses an image forming system. In this example, a communication unit is provided in an image forming apparatus and this communication unit sends and receives signals to and from an IC card carried by a specified user. The IC card is used as a job memory and can store copying conditions set by the user.
JP-A-2004-226843 discloses an image forming apparatus using an IC card. In this example, only an operator who is carrying the IC card can carry out maintenance of the image forming apparatus.
However, in the conventional techniques, when the user uses the image forming apparatus to carry out copy processing and so on, the operation to set image forming conditions for each individual is troublesome. Copying cannot be done quickly and is time-consuming.